I will try not to be too much of a tech geek here, and to keep it brief, so stick with me.

What is an SSL Certificate?

It’s a data file that encrypts the information on your site.

I don’t sell anything on my site, do I really need one?

Yes. The first reason is to please Google and other search engines. It’s simple, quick, inexpensive and an SEO boost. Google wants to see every site have an SSL certificate and will give priority ranking to those that do. This started in May 2018.

The second reason is a bit murkier but with the new laws about privacy, having the SSL just lets you play on the safe side.

How do I get an SSL certificate?

Your host may provide one free of charge. Bluehost and Flywheel both do. A2 Hosting charges $49 per year. It varies but it should be reasonably priced if there is a charge. If you are being quoted over $100 then they are upselling you. All you need is a simple SSL, the most basic type available. Just email your host and find out what they offer and how to get it.

How do I install it?

You’ll activate it through the host but you need to do some work on your site to make it look correct. There are a few plugins that are a great quick way to do this.

SSL Insecure Content Fixer makes sure everything on your site becomes secure. Without it, there are often issues with images.

Really Simple SSL is a quick way to do the setup without much technical know how. If you need this depends on your host.

What if I need help?

Ask your website designer, or hosting company. Likely either can help you, and it shouldn’t take too long to setup. I include the set up with all my website design projects, and do it as a one hour add-on for returning clients.